Move 10
 

I expect them to castle any other thougts?

Yes, 10.O-O seems the most obvious move, a move they must play sooner or later anyway, other moves showing their intentions unnecessarily early.

We have an obvious developing reply 10...Nbd7, but there is an important alternative in 10...Bg4 intending to exchange off our slightly awkward bishop immediately for either their knight or their bishop.

An alternative way of exchanging that bishop is ...a5 and ...Ba6, the plan you (WMH) suggested for us earlier. If we intend that, then 10...Nbd7 is fine since it doesn't obstruct the plan.

What are everyone's preferences?

10.O-O .. Nbd7 is ok.

Do they have any attack if they play 10. e5 ?

I don't think 10.e5 is any good for them, no. After 10...dxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Bb7 wins the knight back with an extra pawn and a dominating position.

EDIT: That's nonsense, isn't it? 12.Nxd5 wins a piece.
Okay, simply (10...dxe5 11.Nxe5) 11...Rd8 leaves White with a weak d pawn and nothing to show for it.

The only other move white might consider is 10. h3 to prevent 10... Bg4. If they do play 10. h3 then 10... a5 with Ba6 to follow seems to be best.

[QUOTE=WMHalsdorf;397219]The only other move white might consider is 10. h3 to prevent 10... Bg4. If they do play 10. h3 then 10... a5 with Ba6 to follow seems to be best.[/QUOTE]
I agree with that plan.

[QUOTE=Brian-E;397236]I agree with that plan.[/QUOTE]

I'll accept this plan, but I really don't have an easy way to see the position
while reading your analyses. No easy split screen. And I'm at different
locations at different times, so I can't maintain an off-line board to help.

[QUOTE=davar55;397382]I'll accept this plan, but I really don't have an easy way to see the position
while reading your analyses. No easy split screen. And I'm at different
locations at different times, so I can't maintain an off-line board to help.[/QUOTE]
Would picking up a cheap, pocket-size chess set be a worthwhile investment for you, perhaps?

They're required to make their move within a few hours. When we see it, could we all perhaps consider the position together once again before we move? Our prompt responding has been good up to now and has moved the game at a good pace through the opening, but I get the feeling that we're entering the middlegame now and we should take our time a bit. Okay?:smile:

Ahah. They've played 10.O-O as expected.

The big question, then, is whether we want to play 10...Bg4. Swapping our bishop for one of their pieces in that way avoids having to play ...a5 (a weakening of the b5 square which could later be an issue, and a slight loss of time). Against that, if they make us take their f3 knight instead of their e2 bishop (for example, by playing 11.h3 at once), then we give them the slight advantage of the pair of bishops.

I'm having trouble deciding for myself. I think it's a choice of 10...Bg4 with the pros and cons as above, or 10...Nbd7. (Or possibly immediately 10...a5.)

What do you both think?

Also consider getting more aggressive with ..Bb7 sometime soon.

I don't particularly like ..Bd4 for the reason you gave.
And ..a5 seems passive - what follows next?
And ..Nbd7 seems like a retreat.

What's their next move with each of these four move 10s?